Oktober Fest-Marzen - Ayinger Review
There’s always something really special about stepping out of the modern American beer scene and running through the green fields of the old country with the Bavarian Alps lifting high and snow-capped in the distance. It’s a little romantic, but true nonetheless. Some of these breweries are so rooted and ancient that it’s hard not to get excited thinking about how their origins impact our modern brewing scene.
This week we’re stepping back to 1878 to try Ayinger Brewing’s Oktober Fest-Marzen. Now, by many standards 1878 is pretty young when considering some of the other breweries in the area around Munich, but Ayinger is well known, and they make some absolutely fantastic lagers, so we’re excited to take our first sip of their Marzen lager made with German barley, Hallertauer hop, fresh water from an Ice Age aquifer, and lager yeast. All together that gives us an old school elixir with 5.8% ABV and 21 IBU.
Oktober Fest-Marzen sounds very traditional, and we wouldn’t expect anything less from such a rooted brewery, but let’s see how it treats the senses.
First Impressions:
On the Eyes--Golden like honey, clear as a crisp fall day, and topped with a vanilla-ice cream head.
On the Nose--Malty on the nose with a slight amount of spicy noble hops and a sweet vapor of alcohol. If the flavor is anything like the aroma, we’re in for something special.
On the Palate--Malty to match the nose, with a nice stroke of floral noble hops to cut through the sweetness, and an alcohol warmth you might find in an 8-10% ABV beer, which is really interesting. It is layered with malt flavor from caramel all the way to just shy of roasted. It has an immense mouthfeel that fills the mouth like eating a rich cake but it finishes very clean and crisp and dry with hardly a lingering flavor.
Food Pairings: We love pairing our Marzen lagers with pork schnitzel, pretzels (find our spent grain pretzel recipe here!), and bratwurst with a healthy dose of whole grain mustard. And the company that imports Ayinger (Merchant Du Vin) suggests pairing Oktober Fest-Marzen with pretzels and radishes, goulash with dumplings, clam chowder, bockwurst, and an Oktoberfest favorite, roast chicken. Oktoberfest is no time to be counting calories.
Final Thoughts:
With recipes and techniques so ancient it sometimes feels like splitting hairs between the really great Oktoberfest beers. With Ayinger, I like that they went down the malty-rich Marzen route compared to the lighter and hoppier modern festbier. The Marzen style is my preference and Ayinger has made an exceptional one. But what makes it different, or better than others?
Well, to split hairs again, it has a fantastic rich and full mouthfeel. In our humble opinion, this is a must-have in Oktoberfest beers of any kind, and honestly, it’s the area where many American craft imitations fall short. Ayinger also is not afraid to lean into the malt sweetness while still offering that nice prick of floral noble hops. This Oktoberfest Marzen may be a touch sweeter and less roasty than others (something to consider if you prefer a deeper roasted flavor in your Marzen, like Paulaner), but the sweetness is warming and not cloying as some oversweet beers can be. Another worthy note of Oktober Fest-Marzen is the crisp and dry finish that wipes the palate clean of any lingering flavors. This is an ode to the long maturation needed for an exceptional lager, and Ayinger has nailed it, making this 5.8% ABV beer very approachable and fun to drink.
Now, I know it’s hard to part with our hard-earned cash, and buying a $12-15 four-pack is not always appealing, but this is a very good seasonal beer and, in our opinion, worth the money. For some, it may even become their favorite Marzen, and for lay-connoisseurs like us, it helps to expand our palates to differences in Marzen lagers—one of our favorite styles of beer. Take the leap on this one.
Cheers!
Mr. Brew
Learn more about Oktoberfest beers here, and check out the review of another of our favorite Oktoberfest lagers, Paulaner.